Bar Top Attachment and Finishing Questions

[Steve Siwek]

Hello,

So I've decided to build a bar for my basement and am a bit overloaded with all the opinions on a few topics. 1. Attaching the top to the substrate. 2. Finishing the top.

1. The top is made out of T&G white oak flooring that was left over from a flooring project. My initial thought is to screw it from the bottom. But I see people saying you have to glues one end then screw it, others say you have to drill oversize holes and use washers to allow for expansion, other say to glue and screw it to the plywood substrate and the list goes on. Thoughts? Also, when screwing it, what is the proper distance between screws?

The other question I have that seems to garner numerous opinions is finishing the top. 1. should I use a wood putty to fill in some of the gaps where the ends of the board don't quite close up or not worry about these small gaps (32nd-64th) of an inch. 2. What is a recommended way to finish this type of top;epoxy, something like a Waterlox, polyurethane, looking to bring out the character of the oak so I'm not going to stain it dark and protect it.

Thanks for the help!
Steve

[Pat Barry]

I think a lot depends on what you are expecting for the finished product. For example, do you want the top to be smooth or can you live with the grain transferring through the finish? For me, I think I would like the finish to be just enough to seal the surface but not build up too thick.

[Jeff Duncan]

If your gluing the boards edge to edge they will act as one large board. This is why you need to allow for expansion. There are several methods to accomplish with having the front edge fixed in place and slotted screws at the back being one of them.

As far as the gaps in the ends, you should fix that before glue up so that there are no gaps of course. If you've already glued up and have them, then yes your only remedy is to fill with putty. Then for an easy finish...just brush a couple coats of poly on and call it done. There are many, many ways to finish, but poly is one of the easier to do.

good luck,
JeffD

[Steve Siwek]

Thanks for the advise Pat and Jeff. Good question regarding desired finish. I've decided I do not want a thick epoxy like coating on the top. Which then leaves polyurethane as the option. What type would be a good one to go with? I see people talking about spar urethane and regular polyurethane as well as other variations.

Thanks,

[Jim Becker]

Finishing questions are best placed in the Finishing Forum here at SMC. I would normally move your thread there, but you've also asked a structural question.

Jim
SMC Moderator

[Steve Siwek]

Sorry about that, I'll post the question in the Finishing forum. Feel free to delete if you like.

Thanks,

Finishing questions are best placed in the Finishing Forum here at SMC. I would normally move your thread there, but you've also asked a structural question.

Jim
SMC Moderator

[Jim Becker]

Naa....you asked another question that's great for here. I was just letting you know we have a bunch of specialized forum areas here that are very useful for questions in their individual topic areas.

BTW, I'm with the oversized holes crowd...that oak is going to move seasonally and you don't want to fasten it down in a way that it will crack apart over time.